an actual, gasp, road trip

 

I know this is way off-topic for this group, but what the hell. After a
few short solo 5-day jaunts here and there over the spring and summer,
I'm heading off for 2-3 weeks. My new baby granddaughter is away up
north visiting great-grandma, and my daughter won't be going back to
work just yet, so I'm free for a while.

The plan is to ride from S.Ont. across Labrador on the Trans-Lab
highway, including the last section just completed last fall between
Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Port Hope Simpson, with side-trips as
appropriate. Then on to the Rock for a few days of exploring and
visiting family, likewise for Nova Scotia, then back through VT/NH/etc
to hit the BMW rally in Watkins Glen on Labour Day weekend. After that,
depending on funds and family, I might turn south for another week or
so, or just come back home. 6-7,000 km in total, of which about 1,500
will be gravel. Maybe another 2,000 or so if I turn south instead of
coming home after 2 weeks. I'll have 2 companions for most of it. We'll
probably do up some sort of ride report when we're back. Or maybe flog
it to some of the bike rags. Or both. Or neither.

OK, back to your regularly-scheduled flame wars ...

 

On 8/20/2010 11:08 AM, Doug Payne wrote:

Careful on the gravel.  And just a suggestion--if it's convenient to do
so, carry a spare air filter--after you finish the gravel section it
will be worthwhile replacing it--the dust buildup pulled down my gas
mileage quite a bit and the bike was slow to start as well.

 

On 20/08/2010 12:37 PM, J. Clarke wrote:


Reasonably adept on gravel (and riding an F800GS for this trip). I put
on new Conti TKCs last week, and have been hitting the newly-gravelled
roads around here ever since to break 'em in.

I actually jam a couple of pieces of coarse furnace filter into the
snorkels - helps quite a bit with the dust. But yes, when we hit
Newfoundland, I'll be pulling the filter and knocking the dirt out of
it. It hasn't proved to be a big problem so far (20,000+ km on this bike
over the past year, probably half on dusty roads). My biggest hit on gas
mileage comes when I can't find hi-octane gas, which happens from time
to time in remote areas. I'll be carrying 2 spare US gallons, which will
give me 50% more range, plus the ability to up the octane a bit, if all
I can find is regular.

 

On 8/20/2010 1:14 PM, Doug Payne wrote:

Sounds like you're all set.

It's not on your direct route but you might want to take a side trip to
Fermont, a bit before Labrador City.  It was originally an entire small
town in one huge building--hospital, police station, school, shopping
mall, apartments, everything--not quite an arcology but a step along the
way, the intent being that during the winter nobody had to go outside
except to board the company bus to the mine.  Also has gas (always a
consideration on the Trans Lab), a hotel, a little grassy area where
people camp, and one of those immense mining trucks on display.

Oh.  One thing to watch out for that's possibly not obvious.  There are
some wooden bridges with a couple of lengthwise planks--watch out for
those things--I, through an act of monumental stupidity (I claim
exhaustion--it was at the end of a long day and I didn't sleep well the
night before)--managed to get the front on one side of one and the back
on the other and rather than stopping and using the stands to get the
bike straightened out, tried to ride it out and landed myself in the
hospital at Fermont (which I would not have otherwise seen or even been
aware of).

 

Doug Payne wrote:


Stop in and say Hi!

--
   -bts
   -Four wheels carry the body; two wheels move the soul